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MCEDD
Newsletter November
2009 | |
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Reading this
newsletter is a good thing, having your news
included is even better. Just send us your
economic development news, including activities,
events and anything else of interest in the five
county area by the third week of each month. Send
it directly to Layne at: layne@mcced.org
THANK
YOU!! |
| MCEDD
Staff |
Amanda
Remington
Executive Director
Eric
Nerdin
Loan Program Manager
Sherry
Wickert
Finance/Operations
Jessica
Metta
Project Manager
Alina
Aaron
Project/Mobility Manager
Pat
Hoffman
Administrative Assistant
Layne
Sylvester
Assistant Project
Manager
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MCEDD Board Members |
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Barbara Briggs, Chairperson
Hood River
County
Rex Johnston, Vice
Chairperson
Klickitat County
Cliff Jett,
Secretary/Treasurer
Cities of Sherman
County
Paul Pearce
Skamania
County
Dan Ericksen
Wasco
County
Michael Smith
Sherman
County
Jan Brending
Cities of Klickitat
County
Bill Dick
Cities of Wasco
County
Don Stevens
Cities of Skamania
County
Randy Holmstrom
Cities of Hood
River County
Chuck Daughtry
Oregon
Ports
Tony Bolstad
Washington
Ports
Ray LaFond
Washington
Chambers
of Commerce
Dr. Susan
Wolff
Education Representative
Tonya
Brumley
Oregon Chambers of
Commerce
Harold Haake
Utilities
Representative
Ken Bailey
Agriculture
Martin
Campos-Davis
Minority
Representative
Nancy White
Technology
Representative
Dianne Storby
Healthcare
Representative |
| Disclaimer
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This
newsletter is sponsored by MCEDD. The items
contained herein are published as submitted and
are provided for general information purposes
only. This information is not advice. Readers
should not rely solely on this information, but
should make their own inquiries before making any
decisions. MCEDD works to maintain up-to-date
information from reliable sources; however, no
responsibility is accepted for any errors or
omissions or results of any actions based upon
this information. If you have any questions
regarding any of these items, contact the
organizational representative of that
source.
This
newsletter may contain links to websites that are
created and maintained by other organizations.
MCEDD does not necessarily endorse the views
expressed on these websites, nor does it guarantee
the accuracy or completeness of any information
presented there. Furthermore, visitors should be
aware that other sites linked from this newsletter
may use persistent cookies that track visitor
viewing
habits.
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Welcome to the November
edition of the MCEDD newsletter.
Featuring highlighted
regional
activities that are of
interest to the
five counties MCEDD
serves.
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Loan
Client Profile - Yesterday and Today Music in The
Dalles
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Mark
Thomas is a long time The Dalles music retailer
specializing in used CDs and vinyl records. When
Mark moved his store, Yesterday & Today Music,
to 317 East 2nd Street from a nearby side street,
part of the improvements he needed to do at his
new location included painting the building
exterior and putting up a store front sign.  He enlisted the help of
friends and family move his entire inventory and
fixtures and covered the majority of the costs of
the move himself. However, he needed
additional funds to purchase and install a new
sign on the front of the store to attract walk-in
and holiday shoppers. He contacted the Small
Business Development Center and was referred to
Mid Columbia Economic Development District. Mark
applied for and received a small business loan
from MCEDD to help with the purchase of a new
custom sign for the front of his store and was
able to get the sign up and looking good for the
holiday shopping season. The exterior painting
work has recently been finished, so Yesterday
& Today Music is a bright and fresh addition
to the downtown business district. 
This is another
visible and successful project that helped a local
business thrive through a partnership between the
local business, SBDC and MCEDD. For more
information on MCEDD's loan programs, visit the
MCEDD website or contact Eric Nerdin, MCEDD Loan
Fund Manager, at 541-296-2266.
As a
service to the regional business community and as
a strong part of our economic development strategy
for the region, MCEDD manages several business
loan programs that provide an accessible,
affordable source of capital for projects that
create and/or retain
jobs. |
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MCEDD Board Meeting:
December
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The next meeting of the Mid-Columbia Economic
Development District Board of Directors will be
held December 10,
2009 at 4:00 p.m. at the Cascade Locks Fire
Station, 25 WaNaPa Street, Cascade Locks, Oregon.
In addition to regular business, the Board
will discuss EDA tools for the region and receive
the audit report.
This meeting is open to
the public and the meeting location is accessible
to persons with disabilities. If you have a
disability that requires any special materials,
services or assistance, please contact us at least
48 hours before the
meeting.
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Oregon
Investment Board Funds Projects
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The
Oregon Investment Board approved funding for
Multnomah County Fire District #14 and Clock Tower
Ales in October. The Fire District will utilize
$10,000 in grant funds for the initial design and
engineering of a training center meeting hall.
Clock Tower Ales will utilize OIB loan funds in
the start-up of a brew pub in The Dalles, Oregon.
Both projects received Gorge Commission
certification in November.
MCEDD provides staffing for the Oregon
Investment Board, providing economic development
grants and loans in the National Scenic Area. For
more information on grants and loans available
through the OIB, visit http://www.mcedd.org/oib.htm |
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The
Technology Behind Beer Making
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Join the Gorge Technology Alliance for a fun
December meeting and toast the end of 2009!
Brewmaster Jaime Emmerson will be giving a tour of
the Full Sail brewery, focused on the Technology
Behind Beer-Making. When: Tuesday,
December 15, 2009, tour at 6:30pm, networking
before and after (no host) Where: Full Sail
Brewing, 506 Columbia St, Hood River Cost: Free to
attend but please bring 2 cans of food for
donation to a local foodbank.
Through
monthly meetings, the GTA provides a space for
networking and an opportunity to learn about new
technologies and local, regional, and state
resources. See the GTA
website calendar to learn more!
MCEDD
provides project management services for the Gorge
Technology Alliance. Contact Jessica Metta at
541-296-2266 for additional
information. |
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Wasco County EDC Tours
County
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On
November 12, members of the Wasco County Economic
Development Commission (EDC) and the Wasco County
Court visited several communities around the
county to learn about their economic issues. Stops
in Shaniko, Pine Grove, Maupin, Wamic, Pine Hollow
and Tygh Valley provided invaluable information.
In particular, many communities expressed concerns
about their drinking water systems, the need to
attract younger residents and opportunities for
employment. The EDC also used the opportunity as a
way to introduce the communities to the ways in
which the EDC can provide assistance, including
problem-solving and searches for project
funding.
MCEDD provides
support as the staff for the Wasco
County Economic Development Commission
(WEDC).
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Skamania
EDC - Holiday Open House
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Skamania County Economic Development Council
will hold their annual open house on December 9th
from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 167 NW 2nd,
Stevenson, WA.
MCEDD partners
with Skamania County Economic Development Council
to provide a monthly update on economic
development happenings in Skamania County. This
month's update was provided by Skamania EDC.
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USDA
Appointments
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Oregon- Vicki
Walker will serve as Oregon State Director for
Rural Development at the USDA. Click here
for the full news release.
Washington -
Mario Villanueva will serve as
Washington State Director for Rural Development at
the USDA. Click here
for more information.
MCEDD
operates a number of loan funds and programs
supported through USDA- Rural
Development. |
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Technical
Assistance for Employers |
Oregon -
The Technical Assistance for Employers
Program at Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries
offers services and resources to keep businesses
on the right side of labor and employment law. The
program offers a variety of training seminars for
Oregon employers, supervisors, managers, and human
resource professionals. Click here
for more information about TA seminars,
resources and publications. Washington -Small
business owners and managers now have contacts at
the Washington Department of Labor and Industries
that can answer questions and solve problems about
workers' compensation insurance, workplace safety
rules, wage and hour regulations, contractor
registration and other business with L&I. Ron
Langley and Aaron Hoffman are your advocates
inside L&I for small business needs - pursuing
improvements that help L&I do a better job of
serving small business owners and managers. For
more information visit:
www.lni.wa.gov/main/smallbusiness/ |
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Wind
Supply Chain 101 Summit
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businesses interested in becoming involved with
the wind industry, please note the following
Summit on December 18:
Join utility wind farm operators, OEMs,
manufacturers, workforce experts and others to
learn how you can get involved in working with the
wind development industry.
Wind
Supply-Chain 101 Summit: "Identifying
Opportunities, Connecting the Dots." Featuring Ed
Weston, Great Lakes Wind Network, AWEA, wind farm
owners/managers, and others. For more information
or to register, visit www.nwenergysummit.com.
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Grant
Highlights: |
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MCHF Area of Greatest
Need Grant Application
The Area
of Greatest Need Grant (AGN) is available to
non-profit programs and initiatives that improve
health in the communities of Wasco, Hood River,
Sherman, Klickitat, Wheeler and Gilliam Counties.
Mid-Columbia Health Foundation awards one AGN
grant per year with funding up to $5,000 for
qualifying non-profits. Non-profit organizations
interested in applying for the Area of Greatest
Need grant can access application instructions at
www.mcmc.net/mchf. Proposals are accepted
year-round with a deadline of Dec. 1, 2009. For
further information, contact the Mid-Columbia
Health Foundation at (541) 296-7275 or at
mchf@mcmc.net.
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By
the Numbers - October 2009
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Regional
Statistics
County
Unemployment Rate*: Oct 2009
Oct 2008
Hood River
7.1%
4.2%
Sherman
8.0%
5.4%
Wasco
8.7%
6.2%
Klickitat
7.9%
5.9%
Skamania
10.7%
7.0%
Oregon
10.7%
6.8%
Washington
8.8%
5.4%
United
States
9.5%
6.1%
Source:
Oregon and Washington Employment Depts, and Bureau
of Labor Statistics. *Not seasonally
adjusted.
Click here
to see more statistics available on the MCEDD
website. |
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Calendar
of Events |
December
2009 Events
- Dec 1
- MCEDD Loan Committee Meeting, 8:00
a.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles, Oregon
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Dec
4 - MCEDD Executive Committee Meeting,
4:00 p.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles,
Oregon
- Dec 4 -
CGBREZ Work Group, 10:00 a.m., Port of
Hood River, Hood River, Oregon
- Dec 9-
Skamania EDC Holiday Open House, 11:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Stevenson, Washington
- Dec 9 and 10
- Oregon
Bureau of Labor and Industries Employment Law
Conference, Oregon Convention Center,
Portland, Oregon
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Dec 10-
MCEDD Board Meeting, 4:00 p.m., Cascade
Locks Fire Station, Cascade Locks,
Oregon
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Dec
15 - MCEDD Loan Committee Meeting, 8
a.m., MCEDD office, The Dalles, Oregon
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Dec
15- Gorge Technology Alliance monthly
meeting, 6:30 p.m., Full Sail Brewery, Hood
River, Oregon
- Dec 14-
OIB/WIB Appropriations Committee
Discussion, 1:00 p.m., Skamania EDC
- Dec 16
- Oregon
Investment Board Meeting, 10 a.m., Port of
Hood River, Hood River, Oregon
- Dec
18- WInd
Energy Supply Chain 101 Summit, Portland,
Oregon.
- Dec
25- MCEDD Office Closed.
January
2010 Events
- Jan 1
- MCEDD Office Closed. Good Wishes to
everyone for the New
Year!
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MCEDD serves Klickitat,
Skamania, Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman
counties. We promote the creation of
family-wage jobs, the diversification of the
economic base, and the growth, development and
retention of business and industry within the
five-county district.
You are
welcome to pass along this newsletter to anyone
who may be interested in regional economic
development news in the Mid-Columbia area.
Past
editions of the newsletter are posted on the MCEDD
website.
To SUBSCRIBE
to the newsletter, please send your name and email
address to
layne@mcedd.org.
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